110 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



and then for the thorn-apple trees, simply because he had 

 flushed ' ' pattridges ' ' from eacli place half a dozen times. 



Our imaginary hero crosses a field, then passes 

 through another piece of woods which offers no especial 

 inducements to the grouse for a home. The ground is 

 nearly level; there are no thickets, no fallen trees, and 

 there is apparently no food; yet our friend has missed 

 a couple of birds, which lay on a little wintergreen- 

 covered knoll that he knew nothing of. He next enters 

 a hilly section traversed by a creek. Half-way up a hill 

 he notices a small busby depression, or bench. He judges 

 the place to be wet, and knowing that the bird he seeks 

 drinks but seldom at this season, is inclined to pass on. 

 Still, he hesitates, for a little earlier in the year he would 

 go straight to what is a favorite haunt. Then he thinks 

 the bushes may be haws, and moves in that direction. 

 His conjecture is right. 



Out of eight birds flushed, he gets two with three 

 shots. 



Knowing the habit of this grouse to fly toward the 

 base of a hill when flushed high up on its side, our sports- 

 man had approached from the side, thereby giving his 

 game a chance to follow its inclination, and being- 

 rewarded with side-shots on fairly open ground. 



Near the bottom of the hill, four of the birds turn 

 sharply to the left, and settle in some bushes near the 

 creek. The other two cross the stream, and stop near a 

 large log. The four will probably fly up and across the 

 hill, if approached from any except the up-hill direction; 

 the other two are uncertain, or will probably fly straight 

 away. 



The same tactics are followed as before, and one of 

 the four is captured. As the distance to the top of the 

 hill is about 100 yards, the hunter correctly divines 

 that the three will be found just over the top. He fol- 



